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I can't help feeling that a review telling other people how to write is at best pompous and at worst darn right patronising. Nevertheless I feel duty bound to share my wisdom in what I feel makes a good, informative and readable synopsis of a book/film/product. Remember though this is MY PERSONAL OPINION, if you do not agree then fine, as long as you write to the best of your ability and with passion then it's all good.

Introduction
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For me, a good review is comprised of several short paragraphs detailing the various facets in a friendly flowing manner without lapsing into jargon or cyber babble. This makes the review much more approachable to the reader one long two thousand word clump of text will frighten off even the most ardent of readers! Personally I start a review with a short introduction as to why I bought the item or read the book or a theory as to why the item is on the market. That way you have no more than a hundred words which setup the review nicely, there should be no talk of the finer parts of the product at this stage, just a gentle introduction to draw the reader in. Once the first paragraph is written you can concentrate on describing in detail.

About the Product
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Pretty obvious when you think about it, but us readers want to know what the product has to offer. What makes it stand out from its competitors? i.e. why should we spend our hard earned cash on it? If it is a review deriding the products ability then why should we avoid it? All this is information that is vital when making an informed decision on a product or the use of an item. Also, try to resist writing another large lump of text covering all facets of the item you are reviewing. Instead break it into its constituent parts.

Other Useful Information
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Anything that you feel doesn't fit into the other categories can be written about here, if you are reviewing a film I personally feel a few sentences on age ratings and child suitability are vital. If the film contains blood, violence and bad language then for goodness sake say so! Pricing information, availability also sit nicely in this section.

Conclusion & Personal Opinion
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The crux of the whole review for me I can read about the film/books finer points on the box, cover or manufacturer's website, what I cannot read there is personal opinion. If you've informed us that this book is great, you should buy it' then tell us why! Convince us! Likewise if your review is negative then you need to convince us that the film really isn't up to much. Let us know how you feel when you watch or read it, which parts you like, which parts frustrate you, where you feel the product could be improved really let spew your feelings, passions, worries and beliefs!

So, I hope this has been useful, if even one part of the review has helped then that can only be to the benefit of Helium and its readers. I'll end with a few do's and don'ts which I hope will come in useful.

DO write with passion; enthusiasm is contagious.
DON'T describe every detail of the game, book or film in detail User guides do not a good review make!
DO write informative punchy paragraphs.
DON'T post one huge lump of text, it will scare off readers!
DO add plenty of personal opinion we can get the rest from the manufacturer's website!
DON'T use words like brilliant or awesome unless you can back them up.
DO think up an eye catching title.
DON'T be tempted to copy work from elsewhere.
DO enjoy writing the review!
DON'T swear or insult in the review a negative review can be written quite adequately without calling the producer/author a son of a goat'

Learn more about this author, Stuart Le Grice.
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